Art of conversion of hydrocarbon oils



'DGSL 24 31929, E E, @ART-EL@ m7419945 ART OF CONVERSION 0F HYDROCARBONOLS Filed Nov. 29. 192s 2 Smets-snm 1 De@ 24, H929., E. E. BARTELS QMQQ-ART 0F CONVEHSIQ'N 0F HYDROCARBON OILS Filed Nov. 29. 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Een 24, l2@

rannte narrar onreine EDWRD E. BARTLS, 0F WHITING, NDIANA., ASSIGNOR T0STANDARD OIL CMPANY,

` F WHETING, INDIANA, A CORPORATON 03F INDIANA ART 0F CONVERSON 01E'HYDROCARBOIN OILS Application led November 29, 1926. Serial No. 1514/16.

The present invention relates to improvef ments in the art of conversionof high boiling hydrocarbon oils into lower boiling point hydrocarbonoils such as gasoline or the like,

' 5 and will be fully understood from the following description,illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 isa side elevation, showing diagrammatically apparatus forcarrylng the l0 invention into eiiect;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken' as indiy, cated at line 2 2 of Fig. l1

Fig. 3 is a section taken as indicated at line 3 3 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 4 is a section taken as' indicated at line 4 4 of Fig. 2; and` Fig.5 is a section taken as indicated at line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the draw- 2@ ings in Fig. l, the numeral6 indlcates a pipe still or heating coil to which oil is supplied Yunder pressure through the line 7. ln the pipe still 6 the oil isbrought to a conversion temperature above 70,0o F. or higher andpreferably to a temperature of 800 to 850 F. although temperatures ashigh as 950 to 1000o F. may be employed. The oil 1s discharged from thepipe coil 6 before extensive conversion thereof has taken place, therate of flow being such as to prevent any substantial coke orfcarbondeposition Withm the pipes. Fromthe pipe coil y6 the heatedv oil passesthrough a line 8 into a chamber 9. From chamber 9 the oil passes throughoverflow lines 10 and through distributing means in chambers l1 and12,'which means will be described in detail hereinafter, into chambers11, 12 and 13. lt desired, mild heat may be supplied, to the chambers sothat no very substantial drop of temperature will take place therein. inthe chambers the heated .eil is retained at conversion temperatures of700 to 850 F. until a substantial iur-ther4 conversion into lightproducts, such` as gasoline, has taken place. Each of the chambers 9,11, 12 and 13 is provided with a valved draw-0E line 14 through whichunvaporized oil may be withdrawn. From the chambers, vapors pass outthrough vapor lines 15 into a common vapermanifold 16 which leads to thelower portion of a dephlegmating tower 17.

Reflux formed in tower 17 is discharged from the base of the tower tothe line 18 and is forced by pump 19 through line 20 into the line 7leading into the pipe still 6. Vapore heavier than the desireddistillate product are condensed within the dephlegmator 17, the coolingaction being aided by a suitable reflux cooling coil 21'provided in theupper portion of the dephlegmator 17, the cooling medium being suppliedthereto through the pipe 22 and leaving the dephlegmator, somewhatpreheated, through the line 23. Oil of a character suitable to becharged into the system is preferably used as a cooling medium in theupper portion of the dephlegmater, and therefore line 23 is extended tocommunicate with the inlet line 7 of the pipe still 6.

From the dephlegmating tower 17, the vapors of the desired low boilingproducts pass out through line 24C to a condenser 25, from which thecondensate and cool vapors pass, preferably through a pressure reducingvalve 26, into the receiver 27. From the receiver 27 the liquid productmay be drawn od through the line 28 and vapors escape through the line29 into a pressure gas line 30, which may be\connected with a lowpressure gas line 31 by a. suitable controllable release valve 32. A.pressure of four atmospheres or higher, preferably 250 to 500 pounds ismaintained upon the system.

As will' be apparent tromFigs. 2 to 5, in elusive, chambers 11 and 12are provided with receptacles or pans 33 which receive the oil iowingfrom chamber 9. Although the pans 33 maybe of any desired size or shape,it is preferred to have thein so constructed as to extend across aportion of the cross section ont each chamber, each pan having a curvedside 34 conformingin shape to the wall of the chamber and apertured at35 to receive the overow pipes 10, and having also a side 36 extendingacross the chamber. A segment ot the cross section of the chamberis thusleft open through which free communication loela level substantiallyabove the opening in the pans. vBy varying` the size, shape or area ofthe openings 38, the rate of flow of the oil may be distributed asdesired among the several chambers. 'In practice, it is preferred todistribute the oil received in the pans approximately equally amongchambers 11, 12 and 13. Unvaporized oil` in the chambers may bewithdrawn from each or all of the chambers through valved draw-off lines1 4.

In the preferred operation of the apparatus,

the unconverted oil is withdrawn from chambers 11, 12 and 13 and at suchregulated rates as will prevent overflow from any one of these chambersinto pans 33 and the other chambers; and in the practice in which theoilis distributed, approximately equally among chambers 11, 12 and 13, theunvaporized oil is ordinarily withdrawn therefrom at substantially equalrates. The distributing means, herein described in connection with fourchambers, lmay obviously' be used with any number of chambers and', ifdesired, may

` be'employed to distribute charging stock in l(it) the first -chamber 9at the same time that the oil is distributed among the remainingchambers.

In the operation of the process in which oil is 'passed from chamber 9by means of overilow lines through chambers 11, 12 and 13 successively,it has been found that after the period of time the accumulation of cokeand tarry matter is much greater in the end still 13 or stills 12 and13, than in the other stills and that further operation of the apparatusis thereby prevented. By distributing the oil, in accordance with thisinvention, substan- Itially equally among stills 11,12 and 13, the

coke and tarry matter accumulations are found to be about the same ineach chamber,

their character is so changed as to substantially decrease the quantityof dense coky matter accumulated, and the length of the runs has beensubstantially increased.

It is not intended that the details of apparatus illustrated nor of theprocess as above set forth, shall be regarded as limitations upon thescope of the invention, except in so `far as included. in theaccompanying claims. I' claim: I

`1. The method of producing lov.:r boiling point hydrocarbon oils in thegasoline range v oi' boiling points vfrom higher boiling hydrocarbonoils which comprises passing lthe a heated zone in which it is broughtto conversion temperature, maintaining separate bodies of oil in aplurality of enlarged chambers at conversion temperatures, passing theheated oil into said separate bodies of oil and discharging oiltherefrom into said enlarged chambers, while maintaining pressure uponthe oil throughout the system, whereby substantial conversion takesplace therein, and {yithdrawing' unvaporized oil from the chamers. y

2. rIhe method of-producing low boiling point hydrocarbon oils in thegasoline range higher boiling oil in continuous flow through of boilingpoints from higher boiling hydrocarbon oils which comprises passing thehigher boiling 'oil in continuous flow through a heated zone in which itis brought to conversion temperature, then passing theheated oil atconversion temperatures into one of a` plurality of connected enlargedchambers, maintaining separate bodies of oil in a plurality of theremaining chambers, passing the heated oil from said first-mentionedchamber into said separate bodies of oil and discharging oil therefrominto said chambers, while maintaining pressure upon the oil throughoutthe system, whereby substantial conversion takes place therein andwithdrawing unvapori'zed oil from the chambers.

3. The method of producing low boiling point hydrocarbon oils in' thegasoline range of boiling points from higher boiling hydrocarbon oilswhich comprises passing the higher boiling oil in continuous low througha heated zone in which it is brought to conversion temperature, thenpassing the heated oil at conversion temperatures into one of apluralityot` connected enlarged chambers and distributing oil from theupper portion of said chamber in substantially equal amounts among theremaining chambers, while maintaining pressure upon the oil throughoutthe system, whereby substantial conversion takes place therein andwithdrawing unvaporized oil from the chambers.

4.-. In apparatus for the conversion of hydrocarbon oils, a heatingcoil, means for vforcing oil therethrough, means for heating the oiltherein to conversion temperature, a plurality ot enlarged chambersmaintained at conversion temperature, means for maintaining separatebod-ies of oil in a plurality of said chambers, means for supplyingthereto said heated oil, and means for discharging oil from saidseparate bodies of oil into said chambers.

5. In apparatus for the conversion of hydrocarbon oils, a heating coil,means for `forcing oil therethrough, means for heating the oil thereinto conversion temperature, a plurality of enlarged chambers maintainedat v conversion temperature, means for discharging the heated oil intoone of the chambers, means for maintaining separate bodies of oil in aplurality of the remaining chambers, means for supplying thereto oilfrom said rst-mentioned chamber, and means for discharging oil therefrominto said remaining chambers.

6. In apparatus for the conversion of hy* drocarbon oils, a heatingcoil, means for forcing oil therethrough, means for heating the oiltherein to conversion temperature, a plurality of enlarged chambersmaintained at conversion temperature, means for discharging the heatedoil into one of the chambers,

and means for distributing oil received from said chamber among theremaining chambers, said means comprising overfiow pipes between thechambers, pans receiving oil fromthe overflow pipes, and openings in thesides of the pans through which oil discharges into the chambers.

7. In apparatus for the conversion of hydrocarbon oils, a heating coilmeans for forcing oil therethrough, means for heating the oil therein toconversion temperature, a plurality of enlarged chambers connected byoverflow lines, means for discharging the heated oil into one of thechambers, pans in the intermediate chambers receiving oil from theoverow pipes, a partition in the pan of the chamber next to the last,and openings in the sides of the pans and in the partition, permitting adischarge of the oil into the intermediate and last chambers.

EDWARD E. BARTELS.

